Amalgamator



(No Model.)

S. L. TRIPPE.

A AMALGAMATOR. No. 308,642. Patented Deo. 2,1884.

,o STATES @Partnr trios..

sYLvANUs L. frnrrrn, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AMALGAMATOR.

TPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,642, dated December 2, 1.884.

Application filed October 9, 1884. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SYLvANUs L. Tnrrrn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and vState of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in amalgamators" for amalgamating and separating gold and other metals from their ores by means of mercury, and for concentrating and separating the miucralized portion of certain ores from the gan gue by means ofthedifference in the specic gravity thereof; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to ores containing metallic silver and gold, and refers to those processes particularly which consist in part in forcing pulverized ore beneath the surface of a body of mercury. None of these processes, so far as I can learn, overcome the effects caused by the fact that gold and silver, and possibly mercury, are hygrometric, and in the presence of moisture attract and hold upon the surface thereof a iilm or thin coating of water, which not only causes nely-divided particles of these minerals to rise easily through a body of mercury in a very slight current of water, but also forms a barrier to an actual contact between the finely-divided mineral particles through which chemical affinity does not extend.

I have found by experiment that,no matter how long pulverized Ore remains beneath mer- Oury or what distance it may be forced through it, amalgamation takes place only when the gold or silver particle comes in actual contact with mercury; that, owing to the density of that fiuid it tends to make room for the passage of ore by capillary openings, and to give way bodily to pressure, thereby forcing the ore to the surface in the water-currents without regard to the specific gravity of some of its particles when free of moisture. In consequence of this much valuable mineral is carried off in the tailings, as it is not amalgamated by reason of not coming into actual contact with, valthough passing through a body of mercury. This is particularly the case when the metallic particles are very minute. To overcome this difficulty and to insure an actual contact between the valuable mineral and the mercury is the object of the series of muller-plates described farther on.

In working or milling gold and silver ores, whether for amalgamation or separation by gravity, it is found that apulverization which will free all the mineral particles from their attachment to rock is impractical, and that while some of them are freed others remain attached to particles of the rock, or are inclosed therein, so that neither amalgamation nor separation by gravity are fully effective, and in milling such ores much loss is incurred, unless the tailings are concentrated by further treatment, which is usually effected by means of expensive machinery, such as jigs, buddies, vauners, and similar appliances.

It is well known that the passage of pulverized ore, whether wet or dry,through mercury is attended by a mechanical division or flouring of more or less ofthe mercury,whicl1 occasions a loss thereof, and, if it be charged therewith, of'valuable mineral also. N one of the processes, so far as I can learn, where ore is passed through mercury provide any adequate means for preventing such loss.

I have mentioned some of the defects in the usual processes for separating gold and silver from their ores, and have designed an apparatus which I nd by experiment will overcome these difficulties, and in the same process concentrate the valuable portion of the Figure l is a sectional view of my appara-l tus, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views.

A is avessel for containing mercury, cylindrical in form, having an enlarged cylindrical section, B, )referably made of cast-iron, both sections made with sloping base, substantially as shown.

Gis a pipe standing in a seat, d, stayed by IOO sition by means of set-screws.

the ybearing E, having a pulley, D, by which it is rotated, ahopper, S, at its upper end, and openings W' at or near its lower end.

Near the bottom of the Vessel Ais a distributing and mixing device composed of a series of perforated plates, preferably made of steel and arranged as follows:

A short distance above the bottom of the vessel A is the plate F, the upper surface of which is shown in Fig. 2, which is held in po- It is perforated from the seat d outwardly for a short distance, where it extends under the space e a, and also near the side of the cylinder, in order that the mercury may freely pass through it. rlhere are grooves extending along a part of the upper surface of the plate, through which the pulp mixed with mercury can pass outwardly.

Affixed to the pipe C by means of a collar is the plate G, which is so adjusted on the pipe as to bring a part of its under surface into almost immediate contact with part of the upper surface of the plate F. A portion of the under surface of the plate G is grooved in a similar manner to the plate F, and for the same reason. i The plate G is perforated throughout, except near the pipe C, where the plate extends above the space a. a, where it is without any perforations, so that the pulp discharged from the openings w in the pipe C is forced outwardly and between the plates F and G and into the grooves therein.

In almost immediate contact with the plate G is a stationary perforated plate, I, held in place by set-screws.

Above the plate I is the plate K, affixed to the pipe G by a collar, and which plate rotates with the pipe. The perforated stationary plate L is also held in place by set-screws immediately above the revolving plate K. The plates I, K, and L are so adjusted in the vessel that their surfaces arc in almost an immediate Contact, so as to operate as a compound muller.

In working the apparatus, the vessel A being filled with mercury to about the height of the dotted line shown in Fig. l, the pipe C is made to rotate, the pulverized ore wet to a pulp is fed into the hopper S, and ley-hydrostatic pressure carried out of the openings IV and between the plates F and G along the grooves therein, and in consequence of the pressure and the rotation of the plates G and K the ore is ground or rubbed through the perforations'in the series of plates and passes into the mercury above them 'in the vessel A. In passing between and through the series of plates the pulp is thoroughly mixed with mercury, and it is believed that no particle of mineral, however minute, will escape amalgamation if in condition to amalgamate.

The plates F, G, I, K, and L are preferably made of steel, having perforations only a little larger than is necessary for the passage of the particles of pulverized ore.

At a suitable distance above the series of muller-plates above described are one or more stationary plates, m m, made of copper, perforated and having amalgamating-surfaces.

On the under side of the plates m m are angular projections or flanges extending downward, as shown in Fig. 3, which are designed to collect the ioured mercury and to arrest the .circulatory motion therein, which is communicated thereto by the rotation of the plates G and K, thereby securing a quiet stratum of mercury, through which the ore mustpass,and where there is no interference with the law of gravity in separating the metal from the gangue.

At the top of the vessel A, and extending nearly to the side of the enlarged cylinder B, is placed the plate N, which plate is afiixed to the pipe C and rotates with it. This plate is perforated from the pipe outwardly over the space above the vessel A, and is without any perforations where it extends within the enlarged cylinder B.' The plate N is made of copper, and has an amalgamating under snrface from which project a series of points or stirrers of unequal length. The object of this construction of the plate Nis to gather the fine or floured mercury, which must come in contact therewith if carried thereby, the watercurrents passing out of the vessel A. The finely-divided particles of mercury,as they are accumulated on the under amalgamating-surface of the plate N, form globules, and when of sufiicient size become detached, in consequence of their own weight, and fall down and become incorporated with the body of mercury in the vessel A. The projecting stirrers, extending beneath the plate N, prevent the packing of the pulp on the surface of the body of mercury and enable the globules to descend through the pulp. It is expected that all loss of mercury will be prevented by this device. rIhe plate N performs another office as well in its connection with the concentrating-cylinder, B, of which it forms a revolving bottom through which the pulp and watercurrents pass, and by its rotation tends to carry the heavier and mineralized portion of the ore, as it becomes divested of the gangue, into the spaceb b in the upper cylinder.

To assist in the separation of the worthless material from the heavier and mineralizcd portion of the ore, in the enlarged cylindrical section B is a perforated water-pipe, B, extending entirely around the outside of the cylin-l der, with openings inwardly, or toward the pipe C, through which water-pipe, by means of a supply-pipe, V, water is forced through the pulp in the cylinder B and over the surface of the imperforated part of the plate N, the rotation of which plate, assisted by the gravity of the mineralized ore in opposition to the water-currents from the pipe R, serves to completely divest the concentrate material from all the light and worthless gangne before it has worked its way beyond the plate N into the space b b, from where it is discharged by the openings in the cylinder B (shown in Fie. l)

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below the spout t. In case any free gold should be carried above the plate N by the force of the water-currents having failed to amalgam ate in the vessel A, it is expected that it would not be lost, but would be retained with the concentrate in the upper cylinder.

While it is not claimed that the concentrat: ing device arranged in this apparatus is by itself alone adapted to Working very finely pulverized ore or slimes, it is expected that material of that character, in passing through the vessel A,will be divested of nearly or quite all its value, and that only the coarser lparticles will carry value which it is desirable to save, and which this device, it is believed, will do to such extent that further treatment will be 4 wholly unnecessary.

The stirrer O is constructed of two or more iron rods inserted at one end into a collar around the pipe C, by which they are rotated with the pipe. These rods extend nearly to the side of the cylinder B, andhave on the under side thereof branches or projections extending downward, and which are of unequal length, so that the ends thereof may be equally distant from the surface of the convex plate N, as shown in Fig. l.

The object of the stirrer is to prevent the heavy material from packing on the plate N, and also to assist the water-currents in washing away the light material 'or gangue.

I am aware that devices are in use in which pulverized ore is forced beneath the surface of a body of mercury and through perforated plates; that stirrers and additional water-currents are used to assist in washing away the tailings from the surface of the mercury, and

that there are devices for concentrating ore by means of upward currents of water; but

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the vessel A forcontaining mercury, the hollow pipe C, standing in a seat, d,within the vessel, having a hopper, S, at its upper end, means by which it is rotated, openings XV at its lower end, means by which the pulp is mixed with mercury and distributed beneath a body thereof, perforated plates m m above the distributing device, and the enlarged cylindrical section B, containing water-pipe, stirrers,conve; revolving plate N, and openings for the discharge of the concentrate, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the vessel A, feedpipe C, means for distributing and mixing the pulp beneath a body of mercury, enlarged cylinder B, with water-pipe B, supply-pipe V, convex amalgamating-plate N, and the stationary anialgamating-plates m m, having projecting flanges on the under side thereof, substantially as described. Y

3. The combination ofthe vessel A, pipe C, enlarged cylindrical section B, containing water-pipe It, suppl y-pi'perV, convex amalgamat# ing-plate N, stirrers O, stationary amalgamating-plates m m, and the series of perforated revolving and stationary plates F, G, I, K, and L, adjusted as distributing and mixing mullers, substantially as described.

SYLVANUS L. TRIPPE.

In presence of ALLEN M. Gnos'r, 7.10. Gnos'r. 

